Page 5598 - Week 13 - Thursday, 17 November 2011
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MR RATTENBURY: Yes, 1 March, or 1 July. There is a whole series of possibilities there. I know that it seems like a small matter, but some of these matters are family owned and there are few people involved. These administrative burdens do matter. I simply suggest that there might be a better way to do this. That is why I intend to frame my amendment as a three-month thing. If the minister does move it and we spelt out 1 September, that would be awkward, so I will be framing it in those terms. But that is for another day. I will come back to that, but I wanted to simply indicate the Greens’ frustration and our intent to offer a solution to hopefully get a better outcome in the future.
In summary, we will be supporting the motion and I commend my amendment, in addition, to the Assembly.
Amendment agreed to.
MADAM DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question now is that the motion, as amended, be agreed to.
MRS DUNNE (Ginninderra) (5.32): I thank Mr Rattenbury and the Greens for their support. As I have said before, I thank Mr Rattenbury for his thoughtful amendment.
The Chief Minister, on behalf of the minister, has put up a not very spirited defence as to why everything is rosy in the garden. It is not. The whole thing is that yes, it is unfortunate that we have to review this again, but it is really because the minister cannot get it right. He just cannot get anything done. He has a problem. He cannot listen to people.
He makes commitments. He made commitments to the industry that he would bring out a draft fee schedule so that they could see it well in advance. It did not happen. He made commitments to them about the sorts of things that would be in the fee schedule. They are not there. There are significant problems with the fee schedule. We are having to review it, irrespective of the fact that the minister has just undertaken a review, because it is not a very good review and the community is extraordinarily unhappy.
The people who employ young people in the hospitality industry, the people who keep pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels going, are unhappy. They are an important employment sector in the ACT. They serve people locally, the same as the Canberra Liberals serve people locally. We will be looking to ensure that our local industry gets a fair go. We and this inquiry will be ensuring that these local people, these local employers, get a fair hearing, and that that fair hearing is open and anyone can listen to what they have to say.
If the committee does not report accurately on what they say and the conclusions that they come to, they will be able to hold us to account. They have not been able to hold this minister to account. The only way they can do it is through an inquiry such as this. It is very disappointing that the government does not see the merit of this. I understand that the clubs and hotels had started to have fruitful discussion with the
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